The Australian says he and Verstappen must not let internal duel for supremacy detract from Red Bull's bid to overcome rivals in 2017
Wednesday 22 March 2017 11:44, UK
Daniel Ricciardo says he will have to work hand-in-hand with Max Verstappen if Red Bull are to overcome Mercedes and Ferrari in 2017.
Red Bull's need for Ricciardo and Verstappen to put personal ambition aside and focus on improving the RB13 is expected to be particularly acute at the start of the new season.
Nonetheless, the Australian has admitted the gloves may have to come off if he is to prove himself as the number one driver in the sport, describing tension between team-mates as "part of the game" in F1.
While Ferrari impressed during winter testing and Mercedes, the reigning world champions and winners of every title since 2014, are sure to start the new campaign in formidable fettle, Red Bull are already playing down expectations and have warned they could be as much as half a second adrift when the action begins in Australia this weekend.
"It is my target and aim to be world champion, and I will do what I can to make it happen this year, but I am not expecting it," said Ricciardo.
The one guarantee is that Ricciardo will be unable to win the championship unless he overcomes Verstappen, the sport's most exciting new talent, in identical machinery.
But before either driver can think of winning the title, both know they will need to work as a single unit to transform the 2017 Red Bull car into a winning package.
"We both want to win, we both want to beat each other, there's no denying that," admitted Ricciardo.
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"But at the same time we also have a team which is trying to build fast race cars and they rely on us not only to push the car, but give feedback and push the technology of the cars so two heads are better than one. We understand we are only helping ourselves if we are helping each other because then the car will be faster and give us the better chance to win."
Verstappen and Ricciardo were the only drivers to beat Mercedes in 2016 and the pair are generally considered to constitute the best driver line-up currently in the sport.
Their relationship has so far shown none of the discord or volatility which was the prevailing backdrop behind Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg's battles at Mercedes but behind Ricciardo's smiley exterior lurks a fierce competitor who will not hesitate to trade blow-for-blow with Verstappen on the track.
"I can't be naive and think we are still going to love each other no matter what, even if we are banging wheel to wheel every race," Ricciardo told the Guardian. "We are competitors. If there is tension or friction as the season goes on that's part of the game."
"First, though, the name of the game at the start of 2017 will be matching Ferrari and Mercedes."
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